These days manufacturers have starting putting loads into their baseline trims which means your budget will go a lot further when it comes to great features for your family car.
After all, you’ll likely be looking for a car with the latest safety equipment to give you that extra security and possibly the latest tech to keep everyone comfortable. We suggest that you also look for a car that is:

  • The owner of a high score in the Euro NCAP safety tests
  • Affordable and cheap to run
  • Spacious and comfortable
  • Kitted with useful family features

The Best Family Car Features

Often, it’s the smaller features that make a big difference to longer journeys and the daily school run. To keep the little ones happy in the back, it’s a good idea to look for a car that offers them a lot of room and plenty of storage space for their books, electronics and toys. Other excellent features to look out for include:

  • ISOFIX child-seat fixtures
  • Wide opening rear doors to easily add and remove child-seats
  • USB ports to keep electronic devices fully-charged
  • Air conditioning
  • Dual climate control
  • Electronic windows
  • A large boot with little to no lip for easier usage

Best Body Types for Budget Family Cars

There’s no one rule that fits all good family cars, but there are some general points worth considering. A good range of body types feature on this top 10 list, from cheap-to-run hatchbacks to ever popular SUVS, it’s good to bear the pros and cons of each in mind. Typically:

  • Hatchbacks offer good MPG and are cheap to buy and run, but might not provide the space you need or want
  • SUVS and MPVS have a raised driving position, extra space and storage, yet their bulkier frames usually incur higher running costs
  • Estates offer running costs closer to hatchbacks but with roomy cabins and boots similar to SUVs
  • Saloons tend to be larger than hatchbacks, but with a less practical boot opening

Top 10 Budget Family Cars

All the entry level models on our top 10 list come with rear seat ISOFIX fixtures and are on the market for less than £20k. In addition, every car (apart from two discussed later) scored five stars out of five in Euro NCAP safety tests. Read on to discover our best budget family cars.